Days in Between
by Spectralwings
Summary: Aoi is struggling with his feelings as he stays with Disfield in the small country of Lesvalenz. Being shrouded in a peaceful atmosphere causes the young courier to contemplate whether or not his goal for vengeance are slipping though his hands.


**Days in Between**

Disclaimer:I don't own Jihai. All characters belongs to Toshimi Nigoshi, Enterbrain,CMX and DC comics, a Warner Brothers company.

Warnings:Could be seen as slight Aoi/Dis(?) story may contain spoilers (which I hope not)...

Summery:Aoi is struggling with his feelings as he stays with Disfield in the small country of Lesvalenz. Being shrouded in a peaceful atmosphere causes the young courier to contemplate whether or not his goal for vengeance are slipping though his hands. Story takes place in between times during his recovery and before certain events in ep.3 - the end of volume one.

He took in a deep breath and held it for a moment as his fingers pressed against the cool glass of the window, and effortlessly pushed them open to allow the moist air to flood into his room. He exhaled as a breeze fluttered its way though his purple hair, and caressed his skin, sending a slight shiver down his spine. The earthly sent that traveled along the winds, and the abundance of clouds, in the color streaked sky of dawn, made him wonder if rain was on the way, to blanket the worn buildings of Lesvalenz.

The boy's fingers rapped on the window seal for a moment as his eyes scanned the area, and his ears picked up the sounds of light conversation of workers and their spouses telling them to have a good day and such. He pursed his lips together as his nails dug lightly into the wood before he limped back over to his bed, looking over the cream colored walls and tasteful paintings that hung on the walls, and sat there, feeling conflicted. It had been five days since he had been hit by the lord of this Inn/Diner's van, and within those same five days, he was stuck here living with him for the time being...

It wasn't as if his stay was unpleasant, or involuntary (even though he didn't have much of a choice), but the whole time he stayed he here, he found himself distraught. The whole atmosphere of this place, this town, the people, left him inwardly wishing to stay, to just be. The man who cooked for him, allowed him to stay here for practically nothing, confused him, making him wonder why he would be so nice to a rogue Ravant. It also confused him even more when said man wanted nothing in return for his kindness, except to trust him.

_How could I come to trust him? _He thought as he reclined back into the cool sheets of the bed. _I was already set up a few days ago, and though out my travels, I've come across far too many of my share of back stabbers. _He rolled on to his side and blew a few strains of stray hair from his eyes. without thinking, his fingers ran over the smooth cotton of the large shirt he was sleeping in, causing his cobalt blue eyes to wander over the cream colored fabric.

"Disfield..." He mumbled to himself. A slight frown washed over his features. Maybe he was already trusting him, but if that happened to be a good or bad thing, he couldn't tell. A few knocks on his door caused him to sit up and heave a hand through his hair and sigh. "Come in."

"Aoi, Good morning. Is your leg feeling any better?" Asked a tall man with raven hair as he made his way over to the table with a silver tray, followed by another man with a messy hair and a cigarette hanging from his lips.

After a brief pause he answered calmly, "I'm fine...You didn't have bring to my food up here, I would have come down." Aoi said as he watched the man set the tray down carefully upon the round wooden table. He only answered him with a small gentle smile as he arranged the cups and plates in their proper places. Those gray eyes and that smile always made Aoi feel conflicted with himself, and to honest, he didn't know why. The boy found himself looking away and nervously rub at the back of neck.

"Alrighty then, let's see how your leg is doing today before I chow down." the cigarette clad man said he moved a chair over to the bed upon which Aoi sat. he propped himself down and adjusted his distance before carefully grabbing Aoi's right leg and setting it down to rest on his knee, glancing up only once to see if he winced in pain or anything. His fingers gently felt around his ankle, checking the area for swelling. "His swelling has decreased drastically Disfield, I say he's healing up nicely, but the process is a little slower than I expected."

"Well, he's making progress none the less, and that's what matters. Thank you Shirakusa." Disfield answered as he carefully poured coffee into the well used mugs.

"It's no big deal. His injury isn't that bad to began with," Shirakusa grunted as he rolled the cigarette between his fingers. He carefully placed Aoi's foot back down onto the floor and moved to be properly seated at the table. "Just make sure he keeps off of it, and it should be fine."

Aoi's eyes scanned the wood floor for a moment as he wove his fingers together on his lap. He didn't know why, but he was feeling like some sort of a burden, unable to do anything, just living here and not lifting a finger in return to show his gratitude towards the two men who have helped him most during this time. Perhaps this feeling was generated within him because he was a servant at one point in his life, however, saying thank you, wasn't an easy thing for him to do, there was a timing and place, maybe a mood for him, but he wasn't sure when it would be appropriate.

"I'm sorry for making you visit me everyday." the amethyst haired youth said in a apologetic tone.

"Tsk! Look at this kid, ain't he somethin'? Look, for the umpteenth time already, it's not a problem!" The doctor said with a mouth full of omelet as he waved off Aoi's apology.

The boy really couldn't figure them out, or figure out why anyone was willing to help him, a useless Ravant with just a little over a year left to live. Sure Lesvalenz is supposedly a country where humans and Ravants lived as equals, but he really wasn't ready to believe such a fairytale, how could such a place exists. How could people do something for nothing, there had to be an ulterior motive hidden some where. However, as he looked up at them, watched them converse he could sense no such evidence that would prove his doubting mind right.

* * *

A week and a few days passed, making Aoi well enough to walk around and help, however he still wasn't back to a hundred percent so he could leave. He followed Disfield around the busy streets of the so called utopia and the for the first time in days, really soaking in the surroundings, the scents of flower shoppes and specialty foods, and the vibes and faces of all of her townsmen. The feeling was astounding, to see Humans and Ravants walk around and interact with one another in a way he never would have dreamed. He spoke more to Disfield, but still never really felt he had any reason to call the man by his name, as he felt that by doing so, all the barriers he placed up would crumble. But even if that were so, he allowed Disfield to pet his head or caress his face before he would show him irritation and swat his hand away. Aoi never understood _why_he would allow the man to touch him, maybe he really did like Disfield and was failing at not developing any kind of attachment to the man.

All he knew, was that when ever he touched him, it sent his head though a loop and would dredge up familiar feelings of warmth and fondness that he hadn't felt in so long. And those feelings would always remind him of the 'family' he lost, and man whom he wanted to kill for taking her away from him.

"Tris' asks about your well being every time I make my deliveries."

"Hun? Oh..." Aoi responded as he snapped back from the depths of his thoughts to focus on Disfield who was looking though piles of clothes in some shop. Even though Aoi had protested time and time again, the man insisted on buying him some new apparel, due to snide little comments, with possible hidden meanings made by Shiraikusa. "So?"

Disfield chuckled. It wasn't as though he didn't completely dislike Tristram, it was the feeling Aoi got when ever he was around him, like something was a little off, besides his seemingly perverse nature. Despite all of this, the boy didn't have much time to dwell on it any longer as the raven haired man stuck a pile of clothes in his face and asked him to try them on. Sighing in defeat, the youth dragged himself into the dressing room and tried on the various robes and other articles of clothing appropriate the climate of Lesvalenz.

* * *

Aoi plunged his hands into the soapy warm dish water along with a plate and began to scrub away the scraps left by the costumers. It had been busy in the Diner, keeping both Aoi and Disfield hard at work for most of the day. Some how, one simple dish (the only dish he could make) that Aoi decided to cook for Disfield and his friends made it's way onto the plates of customers while the owner took a small break, had boomed in popularity. One day a few people had complemented on the flavor, texture, and uniqueness of the meal, and suddenly, there were more customers asking if there was anything new on the menu and trying to persuade the teen to whip up his 'famous' stir fry.

"Hey Dis'! I heard you took a wife! Is she cute?"

_This again?_The edgy youth found himself thinking as he rinsed the plates and neatly dried them as quickly as he could. This was about the hundredth time someone asked Disfield if had taken a wife. What the hell would make them think that? Why wouldn't they assume that he had just found an employee or something along those lines, instead of a wife? Aoi found the whole situation a little irritating.

"No I haven't taken a wife." Disfield replied as he continued to chiffonade the lettuce with almost professional accuracy.

_Doesn't he get tired of being asked this? _Aoi thought as he dried his hands on his apron and made his way over to the counter to take the old man's order.

"Oh, this is the little helper I've heard about! How about whippin' up that dish I heard so much about sonny?" the man said with a wide grin on his face as he took a seat on one of the old rickety stools.

"It's not on the menu."

"Aw, come on! And I came all the way here to taste this: 'taste-bud explodin' eastern Oriental' style dish too..."

"Well," Disfiled started as he brought the meal he had finished over to the counter for pick up, and after he stuck the bell, he continued his sentence, "It is up to Aoi. What do you say? Would you like it make it again, if it's not too much trouble for you?"

The teen stared up into the raven haired man's calm and gentle eyes as he twirled a pencil between his fingers. With the nod of his head and a sigh of defeat (which was becoming a common characteristic for him), Aoi made his way into the kitchen prepared the proper ingredients for his: 'taste-bud explodin' eastern Oriental' dish.

He wondered when he had gotten so 'weak' around that man who currently was engaged in conversation with that annoying customer. It seemed like when ever he looked into his eyes, he couldn't help but to lower at least part of those barriers that years of hatred, anger, and betrayal had built up. Because when he looked into those, soft and kind eyes, part of him wanted to throw away his ambitions and remain forever here, in this Inn/Diner, beside the man who cared for him. As days and nights slowly sailed away into the past, part of him knew, or rather began to realize, who he was seeing beyond the eyes of the Disfield. That was a girl that drifts along his memories in a sea of light, reminding him of warmer days.

So for now, Aoi decided that for the time being, while he recovered, he would at least do whatever he could to help Disfield. And for first time in what seemed like ages gone by, a small smile formed on his lips, as he stir fried the meal before him.

-END----

**AN:**** Wow, I suppose I like the way it came out. In truth I suck at writing, but I have fun doing it every now and then, and I think that, and improving on what I should be improving on is important. even though writing isn't my forte I would love to be better. I feel like my writing skills could use some major work, because my grammar and spelling sucks. I also feel like my pallet of vocabulary is pretty limited. Ah well. I could take that creative writing class...**

**Now, the reason why I wrote a story about Jihai is because I really like this manga. I wanted to pick up something different to read while I waited for the next volumes of Silver Diamond, 07-Ghost, CrossXBreak, and Toto, and well, I got just what I wanted! **

~Read and review if it fancies you~


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